After a tumultuous 2-9 season in 1973, (Ben) Schwartzwalder, the winningest coach in SU history, retired. Talk of stepping down to lower college ranks — to play the Colgates, the Akrons and the Maines regularly — was very much in the air.

“There was a lot of talk about de-emphasizing football,” (then head football coach Frank) Maloney said. “There was a wishy-washiness. ‘Maybe we ought to go down and play the Colgates and be like that all the time in that level.’”

And so, a commitment had to be made — one way or another — by the school’s administration and athletic department. Their options were downgrading the program or committing to its future with a multimillion dollar investment. It was a decision that would wholly affect the future of the program.

“Can you imagine those tough times?” (Dick) MacPherson said, bewildered by the idea of the decision. “Those people making the tough gut call to put a football arena on campus?”